It is commonplace to have electrical outlets placed outdoors in order to supply the electricity required by outdoor lighting, outdoor yard equipment, outdoor recreation equipment, and the like. Where electrical outlets are placed outdoors, the damaging effects of weather conditions require a weather-resistant outdoor electrical outlet cover.
Weatherproof and weather-resistant covers are used in conjunction with electrical boxes or other housings to protectively enclose various electrical devices. Such covers are particularly useful to afford ready access to exterior electrical outlets while protecting them from moisture and weather.
The typical electrical outlet box is generally rectangular and is closed on five sides and is recessed into or mounted exteriorly of a structure so that its open side is accessible. The box is typically sized to receive a standard electrical device such as a duplex outlet or switch and the device is secured to the box with its front face substantially flush with the open face of the box. An opening in a wall of the box permits passage of electrical leads for connecting the device to an electrical source or to another such fixture.
The cover assembly of the general type with which we are concerned here includes a cover plate which is co-extensive with the open side of the outlet box. That plate is provided with one or more apertures shaped and located so as to expose the working parts of the device contained in the box while isolating the electrically live parts of the device. The cover is usually secured in place by one or more threaded fasteners extending through an opening in the cover and turned down into a threaded hole in the box or in the device contained therein.
The usual weatherproof cover assembly also includes one or more doors or lids hinged to the cover plate to protect the electrical fixture mounted in the associated box from the weather when the fixture is not in use. In some cases, a single door protects an entire fixture, but sometimes, each aperture in the cover plate has its own door so that, for example, one receptacle of a duplex outlet can be in use while the other outlet receptacle is protected from the weather by an overlying door.
Most prior outdoor cover assemblies are disadvantaged in that they provide protection against the weather only when the associated electrical fixtures are not in use, i.e., when the cover plate doors are closed. As soon as the doors are swung open to provide access to the associated electrical device, those fixtures are exposed to the elements and become vulnerable to damage from the elements.
There exist some cover assemblies which protect the associated electrical devices, usually electrical outlets, from the weather when the fixtures are in use. This feature is convenient because it is sometimes preferred to leave certain outdoor appliances plugged into an outdoor outlet for extended periods of time. Examples of such appliances include outdoor lighting such as spotlights. Even when an appliance is not intended to be left plugged in for an extended period of time, it is also sometimes preferred to provide weather resistant protection for the appliance plug during use. These known assemblies which can protect outlets during use have hinged lids or doors which are deep enough to provide clearance for a plug or plugs plugged into the electrical outlet being protected by the cover assembly. Those assemblies also include openings for accommodating the electrical cords terminated by the plug or plugs, which openings are located at the bottoms of the assemblies so that the openings do not admit rainwater.
One of the disadvantages of these types of devices is that only a vertically aligned electrical outlet may be satisfactorily protected from varying weather conditions. If the above-described devices with the bottom openings were placed on a horizontally aligned electrical outlet, the opening for the appliance cord would no longer be oriented downward thereby creating a greater likelihood that water, moisture or other substances would enter the protected area. Accordingly, such covers would be unsuitable for protecting horizontally aligned electrical outlets. Of course, manufacturers could make an entirely separate line of outlet covers, one for horizontal outlets and one for vertical outlets and retailers could stock both types; however, this could lead to greater costs associated with manufacturing and stocking more product lines. Moreover, when a consumer is considering purchase of an outlet cover, he must remember the orientation of the outlet for which the cover is intended.
The prior art has shown some attempts at solving the above-described problems. U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,095 to Kling et al discloses a box cover containing a pair of spring biased lids which fit together to seal an electrical cord extending out of the cover. The two lids contain an interlocking gear mechanism in order to synchronize the movement of the two lids. While the '095 device is capable of enclosing a horizontally or vertically aligned outlet, the outlet cover is relatively complicated and requires a large number of parts. Moreover, the outlet cover described in the '095 patent prevents easy accessibility for the insertion of an electrical plug.
Another attempt at solving the above-described problems is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,135 to Berlin et al. The '135 patent discloses a cover including a base plate to be mounted on an outlet with an insert member mounted within an aperture in the base plate. The insert may be fitted in the aperture in a plurality of orientations to encompass electrical outlets of either a horizontal orientation or a vertical orientation. A protective housing is fastened to the base plate in order to enclose the electrical outlet and defines a closed space of sufficient size to enclose an electrical outlet with at least one plug inserted thereinto irrespective of the orientation of the outlet. A gap is provided at the bottom of the cover for allowing a cord to extend out of the housing while the housing is closed. While this cover may be used on either vertically or horizontally oriented outlets, the size of the protective housing necessary to enclose either orientation of outlets is quite greater than necessary when only one orientation is being employed and therefore makes the cover undesirable. In addition, the removable insert is an item which can get lost from the rest of the cover device. Furthermore, the gap defines a hole which renders the cover less than weather proof, as raindrops can bounce upwards from surrounding objects into the cover.
Thus, there is a need for a weatherproof outlet cover which can enclose an electrical outlet even during use. There is further a need for a weatherproof outlet cover which can be used on either vertically or horizontally oriented electrical outlets. There is further a need for such a weatherproof outlet cover which does not considerably increase the size of the device. There is further a need for such a weatherproof outlet cover which does not allow the entry of rain water through the exiting area for electrical cords in either orientation. There is further a need for a weatherproof outlet cover which meets the above needs while also meeting safety regulations.